"Then he said to the crowd, " If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me."
Luke 9:23
Yes, I will follow Jesus! " we'll gladly follow the Lord around the Sea of Galilee and be fed with the five thousand. We will drink wine made from water. We will applaud the blind man who can see and stand amazed at a dead man who rises from his grave. We will follow Jesus everywhere except. . . the cross.
Oh, we can handle the burdens, those everyday troubles we all must shoulder. Beside, there are always other to carry our burdens. We can accept the Thorns, inconveniences that can"t be avoided. It's best to accept thorn and get on with living.
But a cross? No, it is not our inclination to take up a cross. For unlike burdens or thorns from which we can't escape, a cross is a choice. In fact, the cross was a choice for Jesus He did not have to take it up, He could have refused it. But thankfully, He willingly took up His cross so that you and I might have power. Power to carry one another's burdens, gladly accept our thorn, and daily take up our cross and follow Jesus.
To take up your cross involves a daily choices. Perhaps your cross could be a difficult duty, a painful service, an unbelieving partner in marriage. The Lord is asking you to willingly take it on and head up the long path with Him to Calvary where pride and vanity, stubbornness and resentment are crucified.
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